arithmetic

Even something as simple as arithmetic is related to our remaining a first-world country. Don't you think so? Wouldn't it be a good idea if all the schoolkids had to memorize their multiplication tables from 1 to 10 before they graduated from elementary school? Don't you think they could do it? After all, it's basically rote memorization, right? Only later might it sink in what these relationships actually are. And it would give kids a certain basic confidence around numbers that might lead on to further mathematical understanding. It's that kind of understanding-- that logical-mathematical intelligence-- that will keep us in the ranks of the first-world nations.

the best-kept secret in the world

The best-kept secret in the world is the overwhelming centrality of mathematical-logical ability in the modern world. This kind of ability is absolutely crucial in coding, for example. If you don't have it, you can't do it. The countries with more people with a higher degree of this ability are the countries that will be successful; those with few such people, and even those of relatively low ability, will not be successful. It's that simple.

perverse logic

The Urban League's 'State of Black America 2018' report complains thusly about the lack of diversity in the high-tech workforce:

'Black Americans are frequent users of technology, and have helped build social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram into the giants they are today. But they aren’t reaping the same economic benefits of the tech boom as white Americans, and low rates of black employment in the tech industry are a large part of the reason why.'

So blacks deserve a greater chunk of high-tech employment because they constitute a high percentage of users of these products. Really? By that logic, 80% of the players in the NFL should be white. What's wrong with that picture?

It doesn't seem to occur to these race-baiters that you need a certain kind of ability to work in this industry, and in Silicon Valley in particular you need a high level of that ability. Same as in the NFL. Skin-color quotas just aren't gonna cut it in this industry, regardless of how many blacks use Twitter and Instagram.

The other thing that people who complain about this never acknowledge is the high level of Asian workers in this industry. That's because the disproportionate number of East Asian people of yellow color and South Asian people of brown color doesn't fit in with the victimology narrative about all those oppressed 'people of color.' These people are successful largely because they're well educated. Funny how those two things seem to go hand in hand.

schizophrenic google

It seems there are actually two separate Google companies. One is the successful high-tech company whose great service we all use. The other is a politically correct second company that has been piggy-backed onto the first and advocates for a 'multicultural, diverse' tech universe that doesn't quite seem to exist in reality. Here's an example of their output, bemoaning the attributes of a 'white/male dominant culture.' I doubt you can have it both ways.

don't bother

There really is no point in trying to 'educate' low-intelligence people beyond a certain point. I mean, there's only so much learning people with IQs of 85 and 90 can absorb, and to try to push them beyond that will only lead to frustration and resentment. Plus, it won't work anyway. Yes, we should try to bring everybody up to some basic level of literacy and numeracy so they can get through day-to-day life in a society like this, and maybe even hold down some kind of job. But don't expect miracles, and don't bet the farm on it.

I think this is one cause of increasing teacher burnout, this attempt to educate people who are basically ineducable beyond a certain point. The result is that what goes on in some of these schools is more an exercise in crowd control than anything else, just an attempt to keep a lid on the pandemonium created by kids who couldn't care less about education. In an environment like that, teachers can't teach, and those students capable of learning can't learn.

We need to make sure that the kids who have demonstrated-- who have demonstrated-- a high level of intellectual ability are challenged and get what they need. These are the people who can create a decent economy and society.

the importance of science

It amazes me to have to say this, but science is just real, real important, folks. It's incredible to me that the Trump administration thinks it can just finesse the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change-- but's that's exactly what they're trying to do. Science is the best tool we humans have developed for understanding the nature of physical reality. To think one can ignore its conclusions is the height of hubris.

'racial equity'

When I hear this phrase 'racial equity,' what I really hear is, 'More handouts and quotas, please!' This means taking more money from productive people and using it to subsidize unproductive people. It also means handing out jobs and university places on the basis of skin color or ethnicity rather than ability and competence. I'm against it.